Day 7

Today was our "free day" to be on our own. Erin and I got up early and headed out to the open market in Brick Lane at 7:30. There was a lot of new junk like tube socks and tools, but after a while we found a few vendors with some old gems. Along the market we stopped at a place called Yummies for breakfast and sat outside next to the market road. It was the best breakfast of my life! It was cheap too! The same price as the hotel's toast and jam!

After the Market I met up with Patrick and Jason. We had planned to make the morning service at Westminster Abbey, but were running late. Jason went off to shop, and Patrick and I headed over to Westminster. We didn't make the service, but hung out to draw in the park instead.

Patrick in the park across from Westminster with Parliament, Big Ben, and The Eye in the background:

It started to rain:

Protesters across from the House of Parliament:

After Westminster, Patrick and I split up and I headed over to The Old Operating Theater and Herb Garret near London Bridge. This is the oldest operating theater still in existence in England, and is located in the tower of a church up a spiral staircase. It was used for women patients and medical students and is currently a museum. (www.thegarret.org.uk)

Explaining surgical techniques of the day: an amputation with no medicine to ease the pain. A lot of screaming occurred here:

The herb garret:

Various herbs were stored here to make into medicine:

Curiosity cabinet in the herb garret:

Sculpture made from bloody bandages:

The crazy gift shop:

I then hopped on the tube again and headed over to an unusual medical museum called The Wellcome Collection. This museum is really excellent in bringing the old and new in medical arts together under one roof in a modern and sophisticated way. (www.wellcomecollection.org)

Slices from a human body:

Mummy in a box:

Ambroise Pare's personal medical journal (he was a rad French surgeon):

Metal prosthetic nose:

I can't believe these were used as late as 1920!!!:

The museum has a great contemporary art collection which deals with medicine and health. They are associated with The Wellcome Trust which gives grants to artists. What follows is from contemporary artists:

This is a map made from actual mosquitoes, dealing with issues concerning malaria:

These pills are carved in shapes of the organs that they are supposed to treat. They make a giant grid on the wall that crates a human body (the grid didn't come out in my photo):

After the museum, I headed back to the hotel where I met up with everyone for dinner. We went back to Hoxton Square for Thai food where we all got involved with a game of Exquisite Corpse and came out with some hilarious drawings! The plan was to go back out to the pubs, but we were all so tired that as soon as we got to our rooms, we crashed!